DEVELOPMENT: Coping with the floods —Syed Mohammad Ali If the donors and the government want to win the support and respect of the masses, and prevent their exploitation by those with militant and myopic agendas, they must think long and hard on how to effectively change the lives of poor people Amidst the hapless struggling to cope with conflict, economic woes, the energy crisis, increasing food insecurity and a range of other problems, Pakistan has been hit by another major natural disaster. While not much could have been done to avert the ongoing floods, the on-ground management of this problem … Continue reading Coping with the floods

VIEW: The Cabinet Mission Plan —Ishtiaq Ahmed For its part, the Muslim League passed a resolution on June 6, 1946 in which it regretted that the demand for Pakistan had not been conceded fully — but nevertheless accepted the Cabinet Mission’s proposals because the idea of Pakistan was inherent in them “by virtue of the compulsory grouping of the six Muslim Provinces in Sections B and C” The recent discussions in the Daily Times on the partition of India elicited a number of responses from readers eager to understand if by rejecting the Cabinet Mission Plan the Indian National Congress … Continue reading The Cabinet Mission Plan —Ishtiaq Ahmed

In this July 14, 2010 photo, Mohammad Sherzad places scorpions on his hand at his homeopathic clinic in Charakar province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. – AP Photo CHARAKAR, Afghanistan: The hundreds of patients who flock to Mohammad Sherzad’s homeopathic clinic in northern Afghanistan are greeted with a glass case of snakes and a covered glass dish of scorpions. For decades, Sherzad has been extracting poison from snakes and scorpions, mixing it with natural herbs and using the concoctions to treat people ill with epilepsy and vitiligo, which causes white, depigmented patches on the skin. Medical facilities are so scarce in … Continue reading Homeopathic doctor uses venom to treat Afghans

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari. – AP LONDON: A diplomatic row between Britain and Pakistan over its approach to militants will hurt intelligence sharing, though in the longer term the ties between the two countries are too tight for it to cause lasting damage. Analysts say remarks made last month in India by Prime Minister David Cameron that Pakistan must not “look both ways” in dealing with militants has caused deep resentment in the Pakistan Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. That is unlikely to be alleviated by talks in Britain last … Continue reading Suspicions likely to linger in UK-Pakistan ties

Bride is seventh generation of family to marry at same church A bride has made it seven successive generations of her family that have married at the same church telegraph.co.uk Daryl McClure and Dean Sutcliffe St Michael’s Church in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, where seven generations of Daryl’s family have married Photo: CAVENDISH Daryl McClure, 25, married Dean Sutcliffe, 27, in the eleventh recorded family wedding to be celebrated by the family at their local church since 1825. The family have also held a large number of christenings and funerals at St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. They … Continue reading Bride! And the Number Seven

Woodpecker takes on aggressive squirrel A woodpecker received an unpleasant surprise when it returned from a food hunt to find a squirrel had occupied its nest. telegraph.co.uk Wildlife photographer Howard Reid was lucky enough to watch the drama unfold in his Florida garden. Photo: CATERS But the Red Bellied Woodpecker refused to give up without a fight, and after initially failing to make an impression, decided to lie in wait on the far side of the tree. Thinking its adversary had flown away, the squirrel poked it head out of the nest to check, exposing itself to another attack. The … Continue reading Woodpecker and Squirrel fight!

Air steward storms off plane on emergency slide An airline flight attendant who swore at an unruly passenger before storming out of his plane via the emergency inflatable slide has been arrested in New York. By Robert Winnett telegraph.co.uk Flight attendant Steven Slater ranted over the intercom, passengers said. Steven Slater, 39, argued with a passenger in America who was attempting to retrieve his hand luggage from an overhead compartment while the plane from Pittsburgh to New York was still moving on the runway. When the passenger abused Mr Slater, the “runaway” flight attendant appears to have lost his temper … Continue reading Steven Slater – I support you!

Stop this slut-shaming The word sexualisation is a troubling cultural shorthand – it sends girls an unhelpful message Laurie Penny The Guardian, Monday 9 August 2010 Article history The word wheedled its way into the language of women’s liberation like a semiotic sleeper agent. It was seen in headlines as early as 2007, but after the Home Office report on the sexualisation of young people last February, it was suddenly everywhere, with David Cameron wooing middle-England voters on a platform of “stopping the sexualisation of children”, and Mumsnet launching their Let Girls Be Girls campaign against the “sexualisation” of children … Continue reading Studs, Sluts and Sex

Fighting racism: united we must stand The thugs of the English Defence League must be stopped. Anti-fascist groups must heal their divisions and unite in the fight Peter Lazenby guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 August 2010 10.59 BST Article history Members of the English Defence League hold a demonstration in Bolton’s Victoria Square. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesThe first three words of the headline on Matthew Taylor’s excellent report in Saturday’s Guardian on the English Defence League’s proposed invasion of Bradford, said it all: “Divided we fall.” Sadly, the anti-fascist movement is exactly that – divided – a state of affairs that must … Continue reading Fighting racism and the Socialist Workers Party